Soft Power, Decision Making, Dynamics of Power, Geo-Strategic

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The Roman Empire had the following dynamism which can be taken into consideration as under:

The Roman Empire

 1. Geo-strategic Location

The Roman Empire had a very important Geo-strategic location. It was beleaguered by seven hills. It was situated at a place where a bridge was constructed on the River Tiber. It had a natural defence. To defend against the enemy, it could very easily be fortified. Thus, it was likely to defend against the largest armies. 

2. Fertile Land

The empire was bestowed with fertile land which helped it to grow. Although the land was limited yet the fertility was the cause of economic stability in the empire.

3. Beginning of Native Rule

In the beginning, the foreign rulers ruled Italy. However, the Italians used to hate the outsiders' rule. Ultimately, they overthrew Tarquin The Proud, the last outsider ruler, marking the aperture of the independent era.

The Roman Architecture

4. Military Training

In the beginning years of democracy, it was mandatory to serve on military fronts. The democratic ruler of the empire emphasised maintaining military discipline very strictly. According to Poly Bius, the historian of the second century BC, the military courts were set up to trial those soldiers who were found sleeping during their duty.

The soldier who was vindicated as a criminal was stoned to death there at the spot and those who escaped from death were not allowed to come back at home. No one from family members was allowed to let him stay at his house. In the Roman Army, the night guard was strictly required to be fulfilled which the soldiers used to perform (Encyclopedia Britannica).

5. Oligarchy

In the following years, group aristocrats used to reign from the key posts within the governments. However, the people started to demand their rights. The Romans acknowledged their demands for the time being. 

6. Demand for Written Law

The public representatives were of the demand that the law should be given a written form so that the public may protect their rights. Accordingly, a commission was formulated that constituted the law in a written form. This written form was known as 12 boards’ because it was carved on 12 wooden boards which used to consult every person to defend his rights.

7. Downfall of Democracy

Over time, it experienced social and administrative corruption which derailed the state of internal stability and peace. Subsequently, every commander asserted his influence and authority as an autonomous in his respective territory. Accordingly, the federation weakened and appeared as incapable of defending its land against the invaders. 

8. Dictatorship

Thus, a dictatorship-era ushered. The commander Maris who gained military prestige due to victories in North Africa and Gaul in 101 and 112 BC respectively started the governmental affairs on the path of dictatorship. Afterwards, the commander Sulla became dictator on the death of Maris in 86 BC. 

 9. Revival of Democracy

Octavian after occupying Egypt strive to revive democracy but he failed badly. With this, he also wished to strengthen his rule in which he remained successful. He termed himself the Savior of democracy.

10. Beginning of Kings

After the Octavian era, the kingship started which lasted till the end. Meanwhile, the Prophet Christ AS came and became the target of Jews Conspiracies. Later on, King Constantine held a religious conference in Nicaea in 325 BC and declared himself as Christian and also declared Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire.

Following this revolution, the Roman Empire rose to new heights and ruled over the entire littorals of the Mediterranean Sea and beyond for almost a couple of centuries. 

The Relationship between Empire and Religion

In the beginning era, the Roman followed an ancient religion of nature which was much influential in a small state where farmers used to live. The following features in this regard can be taken into account:

A. The Romans worship the spirits who were found around human settlements, springs and agricultural fields, etc. The simple farmers believed in them enthusiastically as per their belief system.

B. The Romans of the last era of democracy had worshipped the gods of the Olympus Mountains at the time when all entities of Greece had integrated. They named these gods and idols as per their native language (Juno: Jupiter). They used to worship these man-made Gods for centuries.

C. Following the above-said era, The Prophet Christ AS was sent by Allah SWT which preached the Sacred Name of Allah SWT before the people.

The Jews took this sacred message as a threat to their ascendancy. So they turned enemy to the Christ AS. They were very influential and influenced the people not to accept the sacred message. So, only 12 persons accepted the message of the Prophet Christ AS. Then, his Excellency was called back to the skies.

Afterwards, his 12 companions started to spread his religion passionately. Accordingly, whoever accepted the message of the Prophet Christ AS was destined to face tortures. The first incident of torture to the followers of the Prophet Christ AS took place in 64 AD in the reign of King Nero.

According to Tacitus the historian, King Nero had termed the Fire of Rum as the offence of the Christians. At the end of this saga, the king sentenced a group of people who were the followers of the message of the Prophet Christ AS. (History of Civilisations: p.182).

This torturing trend used to prevail for many centuries. However, this religion (Christianity) became popular in the Roman Empire.

 Gabon's Assessment

 Gabon has summarised the relationship between The Roman Empire and religion as follows:

A. Jews were very enthusiastic towards their religion. However, due to their UN-accepting attitude towards non-Jews, people used to accept the message of the Prophet Christ AS.

B. For the future life, the message of the Prophet Christ AS attracted the people in large numbers which they accepted.

C. The influential powers that were associated with the Church in the beginning period of the Church accepted Christianity and worked for its spread in the empire.

D. There was a strong relationship, discipline, and affiliation between the Christian democracy and the empire (History of Civilisations: p.187). That is why Christianity spread to every corner of the empire.

Romans Longing for Religion

Encyclopedia Britannica explains the concept of worship as follows:

There was nothing new for Greeks in Christianity because it was the continuation of Idol worshipping. The old idols that protect their citizens in the past were again their protectors. 

Although Christianity was deeply entrenched in roman society till the beginning of the fourth century yet a heinous competition within its adherents began which was a cause of the bad situation for the Christian community. 

Major Changes under Constantine

During the Constantine regime, two major changes took place. First, the Kind accepted Christianity and denounced idol worshipping. He also debunked the ritual of worshipping the kings that were prevailing for centuries. Second, he converted Byzantium as the capital of the empire. It was known as now the second Rome. 

Hereafter, Constantinople was constructed where the capital was shifted. It was the centre of Christianity. It has a distinction of being the pure Christian city on one hand and the hub of the Greek civilisation and culture. It had never been the city of idol worship. 

Constantine established the church as a governmental department that was directly controlled by him and the later kings. Whenever paganism was oriented by a king, the followers of Christianity resisted and thwarted the old bad pathways. 

Internal Rift

The encyclopedia Britannica emphasised the division of the different sects within Christianity based on the ideological lineage. According to it, the saga of internal rift remained longer for centuries. Hereafter, the concept of three started in Christianity.  

George William Nike said in his thesis on Christianity, “The Christ AS has not claimed him to be supernatural. But his Excellency was restrictively projecting that being a son of Marry and Josef is enough for him.”

In the end, it is mandatory to mention that before the beginning of Islam, the Roman Empire, whose official religion was Christianity and the adherence to Christianity was a matter of pride for them, was facing a much-deteriorated situation regarding the sects within the Christianity. 

 Sociopolitical Conditions of the Roman Empire

The Sociopolitical conditions of the Roman Empire can be taken into consideration as follows: 

Roman State

Two Segments-Societies

The empire was socially divided into two segments. The first segment was the aristocrats. The second was consisting of prosperous persons. They enjoyed the full rights of citizenry which possessed larger parts of fertile lands. 

The whole people consisting of this segment lived a life of luxuries. Some of the individuals also used to work in their agricultural fields. 

An individual from the aristocratic segment, namely Cincinnatus played his heroic role in defending the empire as a commander in chief in the 5th century BC. Interestingly, whenever, he was invited to wage a war, was found busy in plough in his fields. 

Unprivileged Public

A large chunk of the population belonged to the public. They were partially citizens. At the beginning of the democratic era, they were not allowed to be enlisted in the Army and perform security chores. 

Political Rights

However, they enjoyed specific political rights unlikely the slaves of Sparta who were deprived of any political rights. After the demolition of kingship, the aristocrats occupied the entire institutions of the democracy. 

Senate and Assembly

The members of the senate and assembly were selected from the aristocratic segment. The counsel was also taken from the said above segment which was selected for one year and given the authority of the administration. One group of the council was also bestowed a veto power against the other group. 

In ordinary circumstances, the council as per the counsel of the senate ran the governmental affairs. The numbers of senate members were 300 who were taken from the aristocratic segment. The senate had the power to veto the decisions taken by the assembly. The citizens of the empire had a right to participate in the assembly. 

Change in Government System

The public did not endorse the monopoly of the aristocratic segment in the national decision making. So, they started to demand their basic rights. The Roman Empire considering the sensitivity of the circumstances accepted the public demands and brought a change in the governmental system. The public was given the following rights:

1.  A Right to marry in the aristocratic segment

2.  Right to become a member of the senate

3.  Right to select on the position of Counsel

These members from the public also constituted the rules for loans and the cultivatable lands. Before this time, the farmers were forced to withdraw from the ownership rights of their lands due to the inability to reimburse the loans. The democratic government introduced laws for not awarding sentences to those who were indebted and also limitations were designed for the feudal. Nobody was allowed to possess a land more than a declared limit. 

Federation and Non-Interference

The federation rarely interferes in the decisions and authorities set by the counsel if the following conditions and responsibilities are sincerely fulfilled:

1.  The council paid the set taxes by the government.

2.  At a time of war, it provided the soldiers.

3.  It played its due role in worshipping the king.

No Spending on Education

During the kingship era, the governments had never ensured spending on the educational institutes. And no governmental patronage was seen during this era. Thus, the educational expenditure at that time was less-affordable. Only the rich can afford to educate their children in educational institutes. 

Justinian Era and Educational Apathy

During the Justinian era, the institutes which used to impart the education of philosophy and oratory art were shut off. The properties associated with these institutes were confiscated by the government. He banned all institutes in Athens in 529 AD. Thus, the Greek philosophy ceased to spread after it lit the light for almost 11 centuries.